“You there?” he asks. “You got real quiet.”
“Yeah, I’m here. I, uh… I needa talk to my family. And then I’ll be home. All right?”
“Yeah. See you soon.”
“Soon,” I agree, pulling my phone away from my ear to end the call.
I’ve never said the words…
I find my family out on the back deck, everyone still hanging around after the milking-barn fiasco. Even Colton has yet to leave, although he’s tugging on his boots like he’s getting ready to head over to Noah’s. I clear my throat as I walk up.
“You’re still here?” my mom asks, a glass of iced tea sitting beside her chair.
“I live here, don’t I?”
“Do you?” she counters, a sly gleam in her eye.
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to y’all about.” Taking a beat, I glance around at my family before revealing, “I’m moving out.”
Colton looks from me to the others. “You’re not already moved out?”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” I mumble. “I’m moving outofficially.”
Remi’s smile is soft. “Good for you, Law.”
Ash, sitting on the armrest of Jackson’s chair, speaks up. “Anything we can help with?”
“I don’t think so,” I say truthfully. “I’ll pack up my clothes and things sometime this week or next. It won’t take long.”
Colton snorts. “No, it won’t. You’ve been migrating over to Oakley’s for a while now.”
Remi tosses a coaster his way, which Colton bats across the deck. “How did you noticethat, but you didn’t know they were together?”
“How was I supposed to know!” Colton cries.
I clear my throat again. “I just wanted to say, well… I expect I’ll still be here plenty. For dinners or just to say hi. I won’t be gone for good.”
“We know that,” my mom says, a small smile on her face. “But we’ll still miss you all the same, Lawson dear. Isn’t that right, Hank?”
My dad, who’s weaving what looks to be a hanging basket out of twine in the grass beside the deck, grunts. “Boy’s following his happiness. It’s a damn good thing.”
Everyone nods their agreement.
Well, shit.
After a second, Colton claps his hands together. “Bonfire to celebrate! Tomorrow night? I’ll bring the mallows.”
“You always bring the mallows,” Remi mutters.
“’Cause no one else ever does,” Colton retorts. “Jackson?”
“We’ll be there,” Jackson answers. “That work for you, Law?”
I nod. “I assume Oakley is invited?”
Colton lets out apsht. “Obviously. Hey, is that Benson Harper over at the petting farm?”
All heads swing that way.
